1994 Ford Thunderbird LX 4.6L V8 from North America

Summary:

Nice driving lemon

Faults:

Purchased the car with only 100000 kilometers (62000 miles). I bought it during cold weather, so it seemed to function properly. Once the weather warmed up the transmission started slipping. For now I just drive the car on cold days, till I can find a replacement transmission at a reasonable cost... the Ford dealer wanted $2800 for a rebuilt unit. Now the car runs rough on acceleration, so I probably need a sensor or two.

General Comments:

I loved Fords in the past, but this hunk of junk has totally turned me off of Fords, and a certain Ford dealer in Belleville Ontario. My previous Pontiac Grand Am Quad 4 was also a nightmare, so I think I'll buy an import next... hopefully in the near future when I get the chance to unload this lemon onto someone at a big loss to me.

21st Apr 2004, 08:55

The transmission normally needs a filter and complete fluid change at about 80,000, then it's like new again. Do a fluid change every 30 or 40,000 to be safe, it's only about $60 to do it.

The "mass flow air sensor" goes bad at 75,000 on some of these, as a test, unplug it and the computer goes into a default table mode, if it runs better and shifts better, you know what's wrong. This should be a $20 part, but you have to buy the whole metal thing, I think that needs a recall of it's own. I have been running without it connected for 30,000 miles now, just as a test of course.

28th Dec 2010, 17:48

I have a 94 Ford T-Bird with only 70,000 miles on it (it's 2010 now), and this car is useless. The transmission sucks! It's not from lack of care, but rather from a lack of good design!! The paint is cheap and faded, despite being parked in a garage most of its life. Many plastic parts within the car have randomly broke off for no reason. Not to mention the thousands of dollars I've put into replacing parts that never should've been broken to begin with! GRRRRR!!!

For anyone who doesn't know FORD stands for... it stands for FIX OR REPAIR DAILY! There's a reason this stupid company almost went bankrupt... everything besides their F-150 trucks is absolute crap.